Operation Coffee
by Blue Obsidian Butterfly
Summary: Auggie has finally decided that he wants to be with Annie but how is he going to get her to date him?
1. Charity Event

**Disclaimer: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

**A/N This is set after the season final but is AU from there. It contains vague spoilers for that but really only uses the timeline. This will be a multi chapter story.**

The one time he truly needed to see, he was blind. The one time he was wrong was the one time that truly counted. He left her there alone and confused, unaware of what he had done. But he knew now and after an eye-opening trip, he came back. He came back a changed man with one goal in mind; her.

Yes that's right, August Anderson was committing. Well, trying to at least. As it turns out, committing is harder than he thought especially when the girl he was committing to wasn't even his girlfriend. At least not yet. Auggie has had many girlfriends in the past, admittedly not for very long. And then Parker came along. But then Parker left, putting herself in front of him which was a real eye opener. Hiding behind Parker wasn't what he wanted. That's why he started operation 'coffee'. To reach his first goal as a changed man; Annie Walker. And that's why everyone's favourite CIA tech op was sitting in the office of one of the few women he trusted, talking about his relationships willingly.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Joan asked Auggie after hearing what he had to say.

"What if she doesn't feel the same way, it could ruin our friendship" _Not to mention making me look like a fool_ Auggie silently added on.

"Well, why don't you ask her out? Given the way she looks at you, I'm sure she will say yes" Joan responded, more than willing to come up with excuses if it meant finally getting the two of them together.

"If I ask her out it will be pretty obvious that I lo... uh, like her' Auggie said. "I need something more subtle."

"Auggie, you're a spy. You should be able to come up with something subtle" Joan replied.

"I tried, believe me but I am at a loss here. Do you think that I would be here otherwise?" He said.

"All right Auggie, give me the rest of the day to think of something and come in early tomorrow so we can go over it before Annie gets here" Joan said.

"Ok, thanks Joan" Auggie replied as he high-tailed it out of her office, glad to have finished the embarrassing conversation.

The next day Auggie walked through the glass doors of the DPD early. Really early. Joan was waiting in her office when he got there.

"Hi Auggie" she said when he walked in.

"Hey Joan, thanks for meeting me" he replied.

"Arthur thought I was coming in to meet another man, can you believe that? I really hope you and Annie turn out better than we did" Joan said.

"Oh, I'm sorry Joan" He quickly replied.

"Don't be. He's the one jumping to conclusions" She responded, quickly adding on "chair is at you're two o'clock."

Auggie sat down and sighed, knowing what came next.

"Ok, here's the plan; there is a charity event coming up for the local police and the CIA would like some operatives there to keep an eye on things. It's a low danger, public event with no cover needed. We can tell Annie that we were short on operatives. There will be a band and dancing, it's perfect. Stu said he would find a suit for you" Joan said.

"Sounds great. I can spend some time with her without the risk of getting shot. Thank-you Joan" Auggie responded, sincerely grateful.

"That's ok Auggie. It will be nice to see you two finally get together" Joan said.

"What do you mean 'finally get together'?" Auggie asked.

"Nothing" Joan quickly responded as she turned back to her paperwork, thereby dismissing him.

Later that day Annie had been briefed about the event and her and Auggie were sitting at her desk amongst the hustle of the DPD.

"Look at all these people Aug, why do we have to go to a silly charity event?" Annie asked him. During the briefing Auggie had pretended not to know anything and despite a few close calls, she brought it.

"I don't know, there probably busy doing whatever it is they do" He replied.

"It seems kind of unfair"

"Yeah, bureaucracy is like that"

"It sucks"

"Why Walker, afraid that you aren't going to have a time with me? Most women would jump at the opportunity to dance with me"

"Yeah, well I'm not most women" she responded, nudging his knee to show that she wasn't serious.

"So Annie, what are you going to wear?"

"Auggie, you can't see what I'm wearing"

"So, I like to know that my date looks nice"

"I didn't know that this was a date" _Oh shit, I didn't just say that!_ Auggie thought, quickly coming up with a cover.

"Pretend date. Are you that desperate to get a date with me?"

"No" Annie quickly responded, caught off guard. The man had a response to everything.

That night, at the event Auggie was standing by the bar, looking over the crowd, waiting for Annie. There were lots of people there, all dressed up in suits and fancy dresses and he had many women come up to him wanting to dance to the slow music that was currently playing but he had turned them all down. Not to mention he had a number of drinks to calm his nerves and Annie wasn't even there yet! And that's when he heard them, the unmistakable sound of Annie's heels followed by the scent of grapefruit.

"Hey Annie," he said when he felt her take his arm. "You look nice."

"How would you know?" She quipped.

"Well, given the fact that I don't hear much fabric rustling around, I'm guessing that you are either wearing a pretty tight dress or nothing at all and I am going with the dress. There were lots of gasps and murmurs when you came in so you obviously look nice" he replied, smirking at her, his sightless brown eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Not bad Aug, you going to tell me the colour too?"

"Yes, it's black."

"Wow, what's next the size?"

"I could but somehow I don't think you really want me to."

"Ok then smartass. By the way, you don't look so bad yourself."

"Good to know. Do you want a drink?"

"Yes please."

Auggie ordered drinks and they shifted to a less occupied area of the room, away from the bar and the area that several couples where dancing in. The room was a hall that had been hired, with a band playing slow mood music on stage and a bar that was set up towards the back.

"So Walker, ready to dance?" He asked, sounding more confident than he felt.

"No" she simply replied. Auggie was taken aback by this but never one to give up, he continued,  
"afraid you will step on my toes?"

"Auggie, do you have any idea how much these shoes hurt my feet? There is no way that I am dancing."

"Well take them off"

"Auggie, I can't just go around at a fancy event like this barefoot"

"Sure you can"

Annie amazed herself when she took off the shoes and leg Auggie through the crowd to the dance floor. She put her hands on his shoulders and he put his on her waist. They swayed to the music for a while.

"Not a very lively bunch" Annie said to break the silence.

"Yeah" Auggie replied. "They probably have blisters from dancing and it's too early for anyone to get drunk yet."

"True"

As the night progressed on, Annie called to check in and report. She had just come back in and was standing at Auggie's side when someone who was obviously drunk knocked into someone else and spilled his drink on the floor, precariously close to Annie's shoes which she had forgotten about until then. The woman turned around to yell at the man and knocked over a burning candle in the process. The candle fell and caught fire to the alcohol soaked carpet and the fire spread, engulfing the shoes and a handbag that had been at the woman's feet. People were running around like idiots, yelling 'fire, fire' as if it wasn't obvious enough. Annie stood there dumbstruck at the event unfolding before her. The bartender, who had dealt with this before on several occasions, pulled out a fire extinguisher from behind the bar and aimed it at the fire. There was white foam everywhere but at least the fire was out.

"Annie, what just happened?" Auggie asked her now that the noise had dimmed down.  
"My shoes" was the only reply.

All in all, it hadn't been a bad night. The insurance would pay for Annie's shoes and the handbag. It was quite entertaining. Annie had driven home and Auggie was sitting in his living room, contemplating the night's events. Joan had called him after she heard what happened and she asked how it went. Auggie told her to ask him again in the morning. They needed a new plan.


	2. Birthday Party

**Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs or the song used.**

**A/N: Sorry this took longer than planed but I ran out of ideas and was waiting for my friend to read it but she took too long so here it is. I already have an Idea for the next chapter so it should be up quicker. Please tell me what you think of this chapter, a lot of people only review the first. How do I know whether or not like the direction of the story if you don't tell me?**

"It wasn't a date Danielle"  
"Two people getting dressed up, going out together and dancing, yeah it's a date"  
Annie sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. Once her sister got an idea in her head there was no point arguing.  
"It was for work"  
"So that's your excuse and you're sticking to it"  
"Ug. I shouldn't have told you anyway, it's against policy"  
"After hearing about last night, it's so worth it."  
Danielle smiled as her sister buried her head in her hands.  
"It wasn't a date, Auggie said so"  
"Did you want it to be a date?"  
"Honestly, I don't know" Annie bit her lip as she weighed the option of telling her sister the truth. _Oh, well, she will know anyway, _she thought_, the_ _CIA should have hired Danielle instead._ "I have some feelings for him, ones that go beyond friendship but I just don't think that it would work out between Auggie and I. Besides, it's not like he feels the same way."  
"Annie" Danielle sighed. Her sister could be so stubborn sometimes.  
"You had fun with him, didn't you?"  
"Well yes, at least until my shoes caught fire"  
"Yeah, that was pretty funny"  
"Mmmh"  
They clinked ice-cream spoons and the conversation drifted to other topics.

Meanwhile…  
Tech-op Auggie walked into Joan's office at the DPD to discuss the next phase of Operation Coffee or rather, plan B. They needed something that would not end in the disaster that seemed to follow Annie around, turning the simplest of things into a debacle. Like a charity event, for instance.  
"We need something that doesn't involve the CIA" Joan said as she looked out of the office windows to make sure that no noisy agents overheard. Namely Jai, who had taken an interest in secret meetings that take place early in the morning.  
"What do you have in mind?" Auggie asked, his mind thinking over possibilities.  
"I am not sure yet. A lot of my other ideas involve the CIA because we need something that she will believe. Any ideas?"  
"No, not yet"  
"You could invite her to my cousin's birthday party" Arthur suggested, causing Auggie to jump out of his chair. He was usually good at telling where people are but he hadn't been paying attention since Joan had closed the door earlier. Apparently, that hadn't stopped Arthur.  
"Hi Arthur" Joan said, quickly recovering from the surprise. "Um, this is kind of a private meeting, do you mind?"  
"Oh, not at all" he replied, making no move to leave.  
"How much do you know about Operation Coffee?" Joan asked carefully.  
"I know about all the operations that go on in here, including the off-book ones" he replied, unfazed. Auggie sensed a fight coming.  
"This is quite unexpected, Arthur"  
"I know. But Joan, can we just put this aside for a while and think about Auggie?"  
"Yeah, I suppose. So what is this brilliant plan of yours?"  
"You remember my cousin, Royce?" he asked, ignoring the snipe in Joan's tone.  
"The one with the beard?"  
"No, the other one. I only have one cousin." He replied, sarcastically.  
"Oh well forgive me for not knowing everything about your family" she snapped back.

Auggie got up and made a move to leave but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.  
"Don't let our arguing make you feel uncomfortable, it happens all the time" Arthur said.  
"Yes, and it'd predominantly your fault" Joan snapped at him.  
"Now now girls, your both pretty" Jai said from the doorway, having heard arguing coming from Joan's office.  
"Is there something you need, Jai?" Arthur impatiently asked.  
"No, I was just walking by and heard arguing. I thought that I would see if you needed help with anything"  
"Don't you have work to be doing?" Joan asked him.  
"Yes, of course" Jai replied as he walked out.  
"Now where were we?" Joan asked.  
"We were talking about a family party" Auggie said before either of them got the chance to speak. He didn't want to cause another argument.  
"Ah, yes. It's a family and friends party with a barbeque and finger food" Arthur said.  
"Isn't that against CIA policy?" Auggie asked since it was Arthurs family and not his.  
"No, because it's at my Cousin's house and not mine." He replied. _Yep, defiantly a loophole,_ Auggie thought.  
"Ok, I think we can work with this" Joan said. "It's simple, doesn't require much and, best of all, it doesn't involve the CIA. What could possible go wrong?"

Auggie listened rather than stared at the catastrophe in front of him. What could possibly go wrong? Joan had said. What could possibly go wrong in a zero danger event that didn't have anything to do with the CIA? Everything. Apparently all their dates were destined to end in disaster. What had happened this time? He wasn't really sure. One minute everything was fine and the next people were yelling and screaming and amongst all the confusion he had lost Annie. So now he was standing in the middle of God-know-what wondering why this kept happening to him. His thoughts were interrupted by an arm brushing past his hand.  
"Hey Walker, mind telling me what's going on here? I am blind you know" he asked.  
"The barbeque caught fire" Annie replied.  
"Oh, is that all?"

"The fire department took their time getting here" she commented after some time. They were sitting on the curb outside Royce's house.  
"Yeah they did, didn't they? Just when I was starting to have fun. No offense to Arthur but his family is just about as boring as he is" Auggie said, being careful not to be overheard.  
"Yep" she said, thinking back over the party…

It had started out so well when they got there in the early evening (having arrived together.) They had been shown around and introduced to everyone and they chatted for a while. Food was cooked and served along with the finger food. It turns out that as long as there was food, Arthur's family would be happy and content. _Something to think about the boss_, Annie thought. It was OK, but Annie was getting bored. She had asked Auggie if he was ready to go and he had acted all flustered and said no, which confused her. _Why did he want to stay so much?_ She wondered. However, a few minutes later, she was startled to hear music. Auggie immediately got up and held out his hand for her, asking her to dance. She mindlessly look it and he led her to what he hoped was a clear patch of grass. He put his hands on her waist and she put hers on his shoulders. They began to dance to the music and as the lyrics started they got more into the dance, him twirling her to the beat.

**Alive, alive, alive, alive****Never thought the day would come when I'd see****  
****My reflection smiling right back at me****  
****It's been a while since I've been happy****  
****Not sure, that I'm ready****  
****I never planned on letting love in****  
****Didn't wanna go back there again****  
**

Auggie spun her around, causing her to giggle.

**But maybe I could (maybe I should) ****  
****Take a, take a chance on you**

**Tonight, I'm lost in the music and lights****  
****I don't wanna let go but I might****  
****If its right****  
****Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight****  
****Is this real? Cause this heart is just startin' to heal****  
****And you're so close to makin' me feel (me feel) ****  
****Alive, alive, alive, alive**

Annie started to wonder why the lyrics felt familiar.

**I didn't ever think that I'd be given****  
****Everythin' that I was missing****  
****It's like somebody out there's listening****  
****Still not sure, that I'm ready****  
****But maybe I could (maybe I should)****  
****Take a, take a chance on you**

Then it hit her, Ben! This song sounded so much like them.

**Tonight, I'm lost in the music and lights****  
****I don't wanna let go but I might****  
****If its right****  
****Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight****  
****Is this real? Cause this heart is just startin' to heal****  
****And you're so close to makin' me feel (me feel) ****  
****Alive, alive, alive, alive****You're makin' me feel, alive, alive****  
****Alive, alive, alive, alive**

Yep, that's defiantly what she felt right now.

**I don't know if it's love again****  
****But I'm closer than I've ever been****  
****You're makin' me wanna let you in (wanna let you in)****  
****I can feel your energy****  
****I can't explain the chemistry****  
****All the signs are telling me****  
****Take a chance on you**

Annie wondered if she should tell Auggie how she felt, it was the perfect time.  
**  
****Tonight, I'm lost in the music and lights****  
****I don't wanna let go but I might****  
****If it's right****  
****Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight****  
****Is this real? Cause this heart is just startin' to heal****  
****And you're so close to makin' me feel (me feel) ****  
****Alive, alive, alive, alive**

**Tonight, I'm lost in the music and lights****  
****I don't wanna let go but I might****  
****If its right****  
****Tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight****  
****Is this real? Cause this heart is just startin' to heal****  
****And you're so close to makin' me feel (me feel) ****  
****Alive, alive, alive, alive**

Annie took a deep breath and was about to start talking when she heard a loud whoosh from behind her, followed by a lot of yelling. She let go of Auggie and ran over to the Barbeque area to see what was going on. The barbeque was on fire and people were yelling and screaming at it. She calmly told Royce to call the fire department. And that's how the night ended.

Auggie once again sat in Joan's office the next morning. Yet another plan had gone wrong.

"Joan, do we have a plan C?"

**A/N Is there too much dialog in this chapter and is everyone in character?**


	3. Horse Riding

**A/N: Sorry about the delay in updates, I wanted to take some extra time to get this chapter written well. Looking back over the story, there has not been much description of the dates themselves; it's mainly the lead up so I have been trying to improve on that.**

**Also, what kind of stories do you guys read e.g. humour, angst etc? **

**I have written a couple of other things; poems, feelings and a slightly darker story (it ends happy though) and not many people seem to have read them so I am just wondering if it's worth me writing anything other than humour.**

**How do you put line brakes in?**

"Ok Joan, any ideas?" Auggie asked as he sat down in a chair across from Joan.

"I ran out of ideas after the first plan" she replied. Auggie let out a defeated sigh. There had to be something that they could do, right?

"Well there is this one thing but it might not work" Joan said, feeling uneasy about the idea that had been floating around her head since a phone call she had received that morning.

"Yes, tell me" a very excited Auggie replied.

"It's not the best" Joan said, still feeling uneasy about the whole plan.

"I am willing to try anything at this point"

"Ok then. How do you feel about taking Annie horse riding at my 'friend's' house?"

"Anything but that"

"I know how you feel about horses but Annie might really enjoy it"

"Joan, blind guy plus horse equals disaster"

"It might not" Joan unconvincingly replied.

"Joan, trust me on this. It's not a good idea"

"Ok fine, give me some time to come up with something else"

"Ok" Auggie agreed as he got up and made his way out of Joan's office.

Once he was through the door, however, his laser cane hit something rather large. His brows knit together in confusion.

"Hey Auggie" he jumped out of his skin at the sound of Annie's voice.

"Jeez, don't you know not to sneak up on a blind guy?" he said, still recovering from the surprise.

"In all the time that I have known you, my presence has never once scared you, well until now at least" Annie said. Auggie could hear her smiling.

"What's with the secret early morning meeting?" she asked.

"We were talking about ways to improve the CIA's cafeteria"

"Liar"

"Busted"

"So what were you really doing?"

"Well, if I told you then it wouldn't be a secret anymore now would it?"

"Jerk" she said as she playfully elbowed him slightly.

"Hey, at least I'm a loveable jerk" he replied, smirking.

They made their way into the tech division, his hand on her elbow.

"So what are you up to today Miss Walker?" he asked as they walked in.

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a secret anymore now would it?" she said as she walked out. Auggie just smiled to himself as he put his headphones on and began the day's work.

Halfway through the day Annie asked him if he wanted coffee to which he said yes. At the end of the day she offered him a ride home, to which he once again agreed to. She knew him so well that it was like they were connected somehow. Auggie was aware of how crazy that sounded but here, in the safety of his apartment, he let his thoughts wonder. Annie was so wonderful. She knew when he needed to talk and when to back off, she brought him coffee and drove him home. Her laugh, as clique as it sounds, was like music to his ears. She is such a happy, vibrant person, so kind and caring yet determined and brave. He wondered why it had taken him this long to realise his feelings. Even in his head he knew it was a lie. He had just compartmentalised them, especially after Parker came along. That was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. But that was all behind him now, his only concern was showing her how he felt. With a sigh he pulled out his phone and dialled Joan.

The next day, with a plan firmly in place, Auggie walked into the DPD ready to take action. Everything had been set in place, all he had to do was convince Annie to join him for a ride in the countryside. Easier said than done.

"Morning Annie" he said when the scent of Jo Malone Grapefruit tingled his nose.

"Morning" she replied when he took her elbow.

"So, are you doing anything on Sunday?" he asked as they made their way to tech ops.

"Wow, way to be forwards Auggie"

"Hey, I'm a straight forwards kind of guy" he replied, smirking.

"No you're not"

"Are you trying to say something Walker?"

"Maybe" she mysteriously replied, "Danielle and I are baking on the weekend. Well, she's baking and I'm helping." Auggie's chest fell but he continued on anyway, not wanting her to find out about the plan.

"Are you going to bring me some on Monday?"

"Nope"

"Now now Walker didn't your parents teach you to share?"

"Not with strange men that I meet on the streets"

"Why on Earth not?"

"Because they can be dangerous"

"Really? I heard that they know how to show a girl a good time"

"You must have heard wrong then"

"Oh come on Annie, all I want is a cupcake. Or a biscuit. Or how 'bout a piece of pie"

"Jeez, don't want much do you?"

"It was only a suggestion. You know, they say that if you feed your colleagues then they tend to be a lot more helpful"

"And who told you that?"  
"Stu"

"My point exactly"

They arrived at Tech Ops and Auggie sat down in his chair, Annie choosing to occupy a space on the desk.

"You're a cruel woman Annie Walker. Not sparing food for the poor"

"I didn't think you were that poor"

"This is the CIA, looks can be deceiving"

"Oh come on Auggie, haven't you figured it out by now?"

"Figured what out?"

"I was only kidding about the baking" Hope bloomed in Auggie's chest.

"Oh so you thought it necessary to lie to me then?" He would ask her but not without a little punishment.

"No"

"Then why"

"Oh come on Auggie. It's so obvious that you want to spend time with me on Sunday"

"It is?" Ok, punishment could wait. If she knew about the plan then he was doomed.

"Yeah, and you call yourself a spy" she scoffed at him.

"But how?"

"Jeez Aug, are you that worried about your ninja skills"

"Well, when you put it like THAT"

"Auggie, you were forwards with me" he made a mental note to work on that. "You only ever do that when you want something or when you are trying to get a girl into bed which I know you would never do to me because you're my best friend, right?"

"Right" he replied. Is that what she thought? That they would never be more than friends?

"Yes and besides you were smiling the whole time" well that explained a lot.

"Will I see you on Sunday then?"

"What are we doing?" Damn, he had been hoping that she wouldn't ask that.

"It's a surprise"

"Well, what do I wear? Do I need to bring anything?"

"No. Just come is casual"

"What are you planning?"

"Surprise" Auggie said, smirking as he put his headphones on and turned around. Annie smiled to herself and walked out.

When Sunday finally came around and Auggie was dropped off at Annie's door he was nervous. Very nervous. Come on Auggie she's your best friend, he thought to himself. Ok, so it's not that often that you go on an unofficial date with your best friend but still. There was nothing to be nervous about, right? His hand was shaking as he knocked on her door and waited. When the sound of a door opening greeted his ears he put on his most charming smile and asked;

"Hello Annie, ready to go?"

"Well aren't we all smiles this morning. What are you up to?"

"It's a surprise"

"So you keep telling me"

"Patience, Walker"

Annie huffed as she stepped out and locked the door, pocketing the keys.

"I think it's best if you drive"

Annie laughed as she helped him into the corvette.

"Ahhh, feels good to be back in this car again" Auggie said when he sat down.

"Aww, Auggie's in love" She teased as she got in and started the car.

Half an hour later Annie was bored. They were on the outskirts of the city, heading for the countryside and Auggie hadn't uttered a word. She was getting sick of these little 'outings' of his. At first they had been fun but after a while she missed drinks at Allens after work or getting dinner together late at night. Why couldn't they just go back to that? Why did he feel like they needed to go places? After another 20 minutes of Annie trying to talk to Auggie and him completely oblivious to her she got fed up. And she poked him. Hard. THAT got his attention.

"Ow, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his arm.

"Ignoring me"

"I wasn't ignoring you"

"Auggie, I have been trying to talk to you for the past 20 minutes"

"Oh sorry, I was concentrating on my music"

"What music?"

"Mingus" he stated, pulling out small ear buds, not attached to any cords. Annie hadn't noticed them, they were so small and skin coloured.

"There cool"

"Thanks, I made them myself"

"How come I haven't seen them before?"

"There is a lot you haven't seen before. What were you trying to talk to me about?"

"It doesn't matter now"

"Come on Annie, you poked me. It must be important"

"Don't worry about it"

"Ok then" he muttered as he put the ear buds into his ears again and fell silent.

Annie was a little hurt that he was listening to Mingus without her. It was there thing, something that brought them closer together. Ever since he had mentioned listening to Mingus instead of working it had become natural for them to listen to it together. She sighed and kept her eyes on the road, deciding that she was over thinking it.

Another hour went by before they finally arrived at what looked to be some kind of farm. It was unexpectedly nice with green grass surrounded by trees and a forest. She pulled up beside a house and got out, Auggie taking her elbow.

"Were here" he said.

"No kidding" she replied as they made there was up to the house, knocking on the door when they got there. A woman answered who happened to look a lot like Joan but with a slightly more rounded face. First Arthur's cousin and now a relative of Joan. What was going on? Annie wondered.

"Everything's all set, I just need you two to get changed" she said, ushering them in without so much as a hello. Yep, definitely Joan's family Annie thought.

"Set for what?" she asked.

"Horse riding" Auggie replied, suppressing a shudder at the thought. He would do this for her.

Horse riding? Annie thought. This is beginning to sound a lot like a date. She quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. There was no way that this was a date.

The Joan-twin as Annie had dubbed her (not daring to say that aloud) led them through the foyer and living room into what appeared to be some sort of guest room with a bed and wardrobe, done up in country style to match the rest of the house.

Once they had changed into jodhpurs and riding boots (which seemed to fit them perfectly despite the fact that Joan-twin hadn't asked their size) they were shown to the stable.

"You have a choice between two horses" she said as she led them to the end of the stables.

"This is Toby and Gizzy." She pointed to two stables, one containing a brown horse with white socks and the other containing a white and gray horse.

Annie walked up to Gizzy and patted his head. Auggie did the same only the horse snorted at him when he did, getting slobber all over his t-shirt. Annie laughed at him.

"This is so not funny"

"No, it's not. It's hilarious" Auggie smirked at her, horse slobber long forgotten.

"Who wants to ride Gizzy?" Joan-Twin asked.

"Annie can" Auggie replied. He did not want another run in with that horse. Joan –Twin led the two horses out of the stables and over to a paddock, tying them to the gate.  
"I saddled them earlier so you two don't have to worry about anything. Do you know how to ride?"  
"Yes" they replied at the same time earning a small smile from Joan-Twin.

"There is a trail through the forest that you can ride through. I will attach a rope between the two so Auggie doesn't have to worry about where he is going"

"Thankyou" they both replied as Joan-Twin disappeared into the stables to get the rope.

"So how did you find out about this place?" Annie asked casually, senses on high alert. Something was going on with him lately, she just wasn't sure what.

"The internet" Auggie replied, not missing a beat. This did not satisfy Annie's curiosity in the slightest. The fact that Auggie was lying didn't go unnoticed but Joan-Twin was coming back and Annie, not wanting her to overhear, kept quiet about it.

Once the horses were tied together they were safely on Joan-Twin let them ride off together, telling them to be back in an hour. The trail was nice but ordinary. Annie had seen many things in her travels including forests and mountains. The one that they were in was simple, plain. Trees were far apart and fairly bare, grass grew in patches amongst rocks.

After another half an hour of Annie being bored and Auggie praying that he didn't fall off they decided to head back.

"You're back early" Joan-Twin commented as she looked up from the hay that she was standing in.

"We got hungry" Annie lied, not wanting to offend a relative of Joan. They got off the horses surprisingly easily and after a brief argument as to what they could do to help, to which Joan-Twin replied nothing, they left. All in all, it wasn't such a bad day. At least until it started to rain…


	4. Jai?

xX **CONTEST **Xx

**I have decided to do a bit of a contest relating to the next chapter. All you need to do is tell me what you think Annie and Auggie would dress up as for Halloween and why. **

**I will leave this open for a week and decide a winner for best Annie costume and best Auggie costume (if they were submitted by the same person then there will be a runner up prize for someone else)**

**The prize will be either 5 reviews to stories (or chapters) of their choosing OR a short story based on their idea, which I will then post and dedicate to them. Their pen name will be at the start of the chapter and idea included, of course.**

**The rules:**

**If 2 people submit the same costume I will choose the one with the best explanation (it doesn't have to be very long)**

**Must keep to the story rating.**

**There is to be NO sore losers (not that you guys would do that anyway)**

**Anonymous reviewers welcome :)**

**That's about it. Leave your entries or questions in a review or PM me ;)**

**Thanks Guys**

Auggie walked into Joan's office the next morning and sat down, releasing a sigh as he did so. This was how so many of his days had been starting lately.

"Any ideas?" he asked, the question reminding him of how little progress they had made lately.

"Ideas, yes. Helpful ideas, not so much" she replied, suppressing a sigh of her own. They were missing something, she just wasn't sure what.

"We have to do something"

"But what?"

They sat for a while, absorbed in their own thoughts.

"Maybe we aren't being direct enough" Joan said, breaking the silence that the room had previously been encompassed in.

"What do you suggest?"

"Take her out to dinner. What girl doesn't love that?" Auggie smiled, liking the idea. It was more direct than he would have liked but after the mild success of the horse riding (aka him not falling off) he was willing to try. They had obviously being doing something wrong.

"Where should I take her?" he asked.

"I have a couple of ideas but I'll do some research and see what I can come up with" Joan replied. He sent her a grateful smile before walking out, happy that they now had a plan in place.

He walked into the DPD the next day with a smile on his face and new plan in mind. The plan itself was simple and after much debate over restaurant and clothing choices, everything was ready. All he had to do was invite Annie.

"Morning" he said as the scent of Jo Malone Grapefruit hit his nose.

"Um, morning" a smooth and distinctly male voice replied. Jai's voice to be exact. Auggie stood in stunned silence for what must have been at least an hour but in reality was probably only a few seconds. Why the hell is Jai wearing Annie's perfume? He thought. And then it hit him: Annie was sleeping with Jai. The thought weighed heavily on Auggie's heart and settled, leaving him speechless and more than a little hurt. How could she? Auggie sighed and sat down at his desk, tears burning at the back of his eyes and threatening to spill. All this time he had taken her out on dates she was sleeping with Wilcox and didn't even bother to say something. The fact that he hadn't actually told her that they were dates nagged at the back of his mind but he pushed it away, pushed all the emotion down, suppressing it in favour of loosing himself in his work and forgetting about it. Denial was his best option right now.

A few minutes later he was once again greeted by the smell of grapefruit but he chose to ignore it.

"Good morning" a light, not-Jai voice said. He heard a cup being placed next to his hand, which he again chose to ignore.

"What's with you this morning, Mr Grumpy?" Annie said when Auggie ignored her.

"Nothing" he replied, voice lowering an octave.

"Would you like to try that again?"

"No, I think I'm good"

He turned back to his computer, a clear dismissal which she chose to ignore.

"Is there something you need Walker?"

"Yes, you telling me what's wrong would be a good start"

"Don't bet on that" He sniped at her.

"What have I done?" She asked, hurt lacing her voice. He never snapped at her.

"Nothing"

"Liar"

They glared at each other (well, she glared and he gave her a 'look'). They stayed like that for several minutes, locked in a battle of wills. Eventually Annie sighed; emotions drained and sat down next to him.

"I can't fix it unless I know what's wrong"

"It's a little late for that don't you think?"

"Do you really want to let one thing tear us apart?"

Auggie sighed and relented, he needed to know why.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you and Jai are sleeping together"

"Wait, what? You think that…." She trailed off as she started laughing.

"You think…Jai and me…..together" she got out between fits of laughter.

"Care to let me in on the joke?"

"What makes you think that?"

"He smelled like your perfume"

"Yeah, because I accidently sprayed him with it this morning when I was putting it on at my desk"

"Wait, what?"

They both burst into laughter.

Then Joan walked in and asked them why. They told her the story and she burst out laughing. They both stared at her before joining in. It made a very interesting sight for Arthur…

**Just a small chapter to keep you all going :)**


	5. Halloween pt 1

**A/N Ok, congratulations first of all to the contest winners: Moongrl088 and the runner up: Mrs. Rilla Ford and thank-you to everyone who entered, I really appreciate it :)**

**Sorry this took so long to write but I haven't really felt like writing humour and when I did get back into it I got sick. Technically it's Halloween now so I am not that late. There will be 2 parts to this 'date' mainly because I wanted to get something out there for you guys to read. I aim to have the next part out on or by Saturday (I am going to a Halloween party then so for me it's still Halloween anyway)**

"Annie, it's outdated" Auggie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So?" She questioned. Just because software was outdated that didn't mean it wouldn't work, right?

"So? What do you mean so? It's OUTDATED" He said again, frustration leaking through his voice.

"I fail to see your point" She replied.

"It's incompatible with the current setup and it's screwing with the drive and…"

"Auggie" she said, cutting him off, "I have no idea what you are talking about"

She had called him that morning, saying that she had a report due for Joan and Microsoft Word wasn't working. She had no idea that he would rush over to her place, Braille keyboard in hand, and overcomplicate things. Although the snug fitting t-shirt and jeans did look rather good on him, not that she would ever admit that.

"Annie, are you even listening to me?" he asked after she didn't respond to his last five questions.

"Hmmm, what?" she replied. Had he been talking? More importantly, had he noticed her staring?

"I asked when did you last do any maintenance on your computer?"

"Computers need maintenance?"

"Annie!" He said, head shooting up.

"Relax Aug, I'm only kidding. Just because I'm not some techno-god genius with superpowers does not mean I can't get my way around a computer"

"Wait, you think I have superpowers?"

"I don't recall saying anything about you"

"Ouch, that hurt"

"I'm sure you can take it"

"If you're that good with computers then why don't you fix it yourself?"

"You know I can't"

"That's what I thought"

"All right, I'll make you a deal. You fix it and I'll buy you lunch"

"Burger and fries?"

"Yes"

"And a drink?"

"I suppose so"

"Dessert?"

"Ok, now you're pushing it"

He sent her his signature smirk before turning back to her computer.

Just as they were heading out to lunch they were snagged by a very exited looking Danielle, never a good sign.

"Oh, I'm so glad I caught you two" she said, excitement still lacing her voice.

"Hello Danielle" Auggie replied, unfazed. He knew exactly what was going on even though he pretended not to.

"Annie, you have to invite Auggie to our Halloween party, you two would have so much fun together and you could even go in matching costumes"

"Um, Danielle I…"

"Great, it's settled then. See you there Auggie" wow, when Danielle said she would find a way to convince Annie to take him to the party she wasn't kidding Auggie thought as they continued out to lunch. Now all that was left was to sort out the costumes…


	6. Halloween pt 2

**A/N Sorry, I know I said that this would be out by last week but I started it and wasn't happy with it and didn't get time to restart until now. Only 2 more chapters left (after this one).**

**Also, I have a one-shot out called Breaking and Entering if anyone's interested :) *wink wink, nudge nudge***

**Who else is excited for the season final?**

There was a collective sigh from the conference room, namely Auggie, Joan, Stu, Barber and Danielle. They had been in since that morning, looking for matching costumes for him and Annie. The party was that night and they had left it till late, hoping that the right costume would find them. Needless to say they hadn't found one.

"What are we going to do?" Joan asked the group.

"I don't know" Danielle replied.

"You're her sister, don't you have any inside information?" Joan asked her.

"Well if you weren't sending her on missions every week maybe I would" Danielle snapped back.

"Ladies, ladies, your both pretty but this isn't helping" Arthur, who had appeared in the doorway, said to them.

"Is there something you need?" Joan asked him, unfazed.

"Just checking in on the mission" he replied.

Joan sighed and asked; "any ideas?"

"Costumes? No, not really. What you need is to find a matching pair that fit their personalities and dynamic" He said.

"No kidding" Joan replied.

"Hey, do you remember when…" he started only to be cut off by Joan.

"Arthur"

"Sorry"

Meanwhile Danielle's brain started to tick over, an idea occurring to her.

"If you two are done being a married couple, I have an idea" she said.

"Idea?" they both said at the same time.

"My sister used to be a cheerleader at one of the high schools we went to. She still has the outfit. Auggie, you were a wrestler in high school, right?"

"Right" he replied, uncertain.

"It's perfect. A pair but not typical and average. Just like you two" Danielle finished and sat down.

Everyone mulled it over, slowly coming around to the idea. It was the best they could come up with on short notice.

Meanwhile…

Annie stared at the outfit laid out on her bed. It was a black lace dress, with a matching mask and gloves as well as fishnet stockings, sparkly black flats and matching necklace, makeup and nail polish. She had been planning for the party for ages, ever since her sister mentioned the idea. Speaking of said sister, she was supposed to have been there at lunch so they could start on the food, since Annie had done the decorations that morning. Well, so Danielle could start the food and she could help. Somehow.

By the time 6o'clock came around Annie and Danielle had the food made, house prepared and everything else (namely the surprise games) set up.

"Costume time" Danielle said excitedly, practically dragging her sister to the guesthouse.

"Ok, we need this and this and this" Danielle said as she started gathering things from Annie's wardrobe.

"Uh Danielle, I already have a costume" Annie said. Her sister paused and turned to her.

"Does it match Auggie's?" She asked.

"I didn't think he was going" Annie replied.

"What makes you say that?" Danielle asked calmly, mentally cursing Auggie.

"He didn't say anything about it so I just assumed" Annie shrugged.

"You should never assume anything, you know that Annie. Anyway, I have spoken to him and we have costumes all sorted out" Danielle said, gesturing to the pile of clothing on the bed.

Annie looked down to find her old cheerleading outfit. She had forgotten that she still had it.

"Why do we need matching costumes?" Annie asked. She had been so excited about hers.

"Because you are going to the party together. You do want to go with him don't you?" she asked.

"I guess" Annie replied. Danielle stopped and stared at her sister.

"I thought you liked Auggie" she said.

"I do but that doesn't mean I have to go to the party with him, does it?" Annie responded.

Danielle was beyond the point of cursing Auggie now. She was ready to murder him. Unfortunately that wouldn't get her sister a boyfriend.

"If you like him, sitting here and complaining isn't going to get him to notice you" she replied, sitting on the bed next Annie.

"I know but I had this whole costume planned out and I was really looking forward to it" Annie said.

"You could always wear it next year" she suggested, getting up and walking out, ending the discussion.

Annie sighed and glanced at the clothes on her bed before looking over to the wardrobe. As much as she wanted to wear her costume she loved Danielle and she only meant well. Defeated, Annie picked up the outfit on her bed.

Once the party started she found that it wasn't that bad and she had been enjoying herself, at least until Auggie showed up. He had dragged her away from her conversation with Clair and outside, to chat with all his friends. It was ok for a while but she had lost interest in the conversation and was beginning to get cold and hungry.

"Hey Annie" she turned from her spot on the patio and had to look twice when she saw a zombie standing next to her.

"Hey Jai" she replied when she realised who was under the makeup. She had to admit, it was a good costume, kind of disgusting though, with the rotting flesh and all.

"Enjoying the party?" he asked.

"Hmmm, it's alright" she relied.

"The foods great" he said.

"Yeah, my sister did that" wow, way to rub it in she thought even though she knew that was unfair to Jai. How could he have known?

"Hello Jai" a voice from behind her said. She turned to find Auggie standing there, menacing look on his face which irked her somewhat. She was allowed to have a conversation, right?

"Hello Auggie" Jai replied, giving him an equally menacing look despite the fact that he couldn't see it.

Annie caught in the middle of the two men, who were obviously not happy to see each other, decided to leave them to have their argument and went inside to get food, only to be stopped half way by her sister.

"Hey, where's Auggie?" she asked.

"Hashing it out with Jai" she replied, sidestepping her and continuing on.

"The games are about to start" Danielle said, following her sister. There was no way she was giving up that easily.

"So?" she questioned.

"Well, don't you want to play?" Danielle asked.

"Not really" came the reply.

"But you were so excited about them when we were setting up" she said. If this had anything to do with Auggie and Jai she would personally go out there and see to it that they spent the rest of the night regretting it. Make that the rest of the year.

"I just don't feel like it" she replied.

Danielle sighed, a sign that she would let it go for now but expected a full report later, something Annie was hoping to avoid.

It wasn't until after the games that Danielle noticed her sister's absence. She didn't expect her to be at the games but she seemed to have disappeared completely.

"Auggie, where's Annie?" she asked him.

"I don't know" he replied, shrugging. This tore at Danielle's nerves but her sister was more important (for now.)

Finding no lights on in the guest house she turned to leave but stopped short. Knowing her sister, she was probably prepared for that. She also knew that Annie wasn't going to answer the door so being her sister, she just barged in.

"Annie, what are you doing in here?" Annie looked up from the movie that she had been watching to find her sister standing there, a somewhat mad expression on her face.

"Um, Danielle, I…."she trailed off, at a loss of how to explain all this to her sister.

"Annie" she scolded.

Annie sighed and decided that lying was not an option. Danielle would just see through it anyway.

"Auggie and Jai were arguing and then Joan pulled Auggie aside and they started talking about a plan and how this could ruin it. Danielle, the plan was me" Annie said, tears starting to fall.

"Oh Annie" Danielle sighed and hugged her sister. Annie knew and by the looks of it she was not happy about it.

"I trusted him Dani and this whole time all he cared about was getting into my pants" she sobbed.

"I'm sure he meant well" she said soothingly. It didn't look like she knew about her part of the plan and Danielle decided to keep it that way for now. She would tell Annie but right now she needed comfort and that's what she would give.

They ended the night by ditching the party and watching horror movies and eating ice-cream. Danielle had to admit, it was pretty fun. And the movies gave her some pretty good ideas of how she could kill Auggie.


	7. Aftermath of the Truth

**A/N Sorry this took so long, I had to get my laptop fixed.**

**I know this chapter is short, it sets up the final chapter which is why I am making it 2 chapters rather than one.**

A couple of days later Auggie had decided to ditch the plan and just ask Annie out, a simple dinner date. _Yeah, like anything with her is simple_ he thought as he waited in his usual spot for her to arrive. She was a little late but that wasn't unlike her. However, when 10 o'clock came around and Annie still hadn't appeared he became worried.

He didn't so much walk as run to the DPD, heading to Joan's office to ask if she had called in sick or something but stopped short at the sound of her voice.

"Yeah, sure Bea, I would love to go to the Coldplay concert with you" Annie said. _Coldplay? But I thought she liked Mingus _he thought.

"Great. See you tomorrow night?"

"Yeah"

Auggie waited until he could no longer hear Bea's shoes before approaching Annie.

"Hey Annie" he said, sitting on the edge of her desk.

"Is there something you need?" she deadpanned back. Auggie recoiled, feeling like she had just slapped him.

"Annie?" he questioned.

"I'm kind of busy here" she snapped. Annie often went out of her way not to snap at him so for her to be this, well… for lake of a better term un-Annie-like could only mean that something very serious had happened.

"Annie, come on talk to me. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong" he replied, his tone laced with sympathy while he mentally cursed whoever had done this to her.

"I'm fine" she replied-clearly a lie.

"Come on, you know better than to lie to me. What's going on?" he asked, determined to get the truth out of her.

_I must have been kidding myself thinking I could avoid him_, she thought. _After all, I'm his mission and it's his job to know everything about me. _

"You know for well Auggie. How long did you think you could keep something like that from me? Or do you really think that I'm that stupid?" she snapped in the harshest tone she could manage while trying not to cry. _I'm a trained spy for crying out loud. Well I guess that's what I get for falling in love with a man who was just using me._

"Annie, you're not stupid. How could you ever think that?" he replied, shocked at just how angry she was with him.

_That's all he has to say for himself? No apology, no 'It hurt every time I had to lie?' Am I not even worth that much to him?_

Acting upon her anger, she stood up and slapped him as hard as she could, getting a satisfying thunk before running out, trying desperately to stop the tears that were flowing down her face.

Auggie stood, stunned as murmurs filled the room. He was shocked to say the least_. Did that really just happen?_ He wondered.

At the unusual sounds coming from the DPD Joan stepped out of her office to find Auggie standing next to Annie's desk looking shocked, his cheek very red. Between that and the yelling it didn't take her long to put it together.

"Damn it" she mumbled.

...

Joan had called an emergency meeting regarding Operation Coffee but Auggie refused to go, refused to have anything to do with anyone really. Joan called Danielle only to get a not so polite shove off in return. Apparently Annie wasn't talking to her either, after finding out she was involved. She had refused to even hear Danielle out. Joan sighed, realising that she was getting no-where. There was no way Annie would talk to her or anyone involved. The plan had gone wrong, Annie had taken it badly and they had no way to fix it.


	8. Fate

**A/N: Wow. The final chapter. After all this time. I am so sorry, there are no excuses. To tell the truth I do not like this story, at all. I kept writing because people liked it (and I am happy to do that.) I just didn't have the inspiration to finish it. I guess I have never really been good with endings.**

Joan was getting worried. Auggie hadn't been to work for the 2 weeks since Annie had slapped him. Annie had asked to leave on the next available mission with Riva acting as her handler. Joan hadn't spoken to either of them since. She sighed in frustration as she called Auggie again only to get no answer, unsurprisingly.

Something needed to be done and soon, she just wasn't sure what.

* * *

Two more days went by and Joan realised that there was nothing to be done. They were the best team that the agency had ever had; they needed to sort it out for themselves. She had interfered enough already, everyone had. In fact, that was probably the root of the problem: too many outsiders. They didn't know how the unique relationship between the two agents worked, no-one really did. They just…worked and they needed to find their own way back to each other.

* * *

Another month passed in much the same manor: Annie taking every available mission and Auggie sulking in his office. He was being more and more evasive, much like he had after the explosion that took his sight. He was closed off, pushing everyone away like it was some kind of punishment. Annie hadn't been doing much better. Sure, she smiled and laughed but it was… fake, merely a shadow of who she really was.

It was fate who intervened in the end, intertwining their destinies once again to bring back what had been lost.

* * *

It was late and Annie had just finished her last round of reports when he finally brought up the courage to talk to her.

"Annie?" He said tentatively as he approached her desk. She froze, not quite sure what to make of it, make of him after what happened.

"Can I talk to you?"

"I guess" she replied. She sounded different, empty. His heart jolted when he realised that is what he had done to her.

"I never meant for this to happen"

She remained silent, something that scared him more than her anger ever could. It was deafening. Only her erratic breathing let him know she was still there.

"I'm not sure what you think and I don't blame you for being angry with me. I should have just had the courage to ask you out. But I was a coward, too scared of loosing you to see what was right in front of me. Operation Coffee, it was my way of going out with you without actually, well going out with you. I'm rambling, I just….I'm sorry Annie, for everything"

"After all this time you are still going to lie to me?" she said, carefully keeping her voice even. She was exhausted, her emotions drained. She just wished that she hadn't been so stupid. Now she had to face the consequences. But that wasn't enough for him, was it?

"What are you talking about? Annie, I'm not going to lie to you anymore. That's the truth"

"The truth? Are you even capable of that?"

"Annie, I…"

"No, you know what, I'm done. For fifty seven days I have had to deal with this…this sadness that just doesn't go away. I trusted you and you used me. But that wasn't enough, was it? After all we've been through, or at least what I thought we had you still have to get more out of me, don't you? You can't just leave me alone. Well, guess what. I'm done, done with the agency, done with you, done with everything. It stops now"

She was now face to face with him. Had it not been for the fact that she was still hurting she would have slapped him again.

"Annie, what are you talking about, I love you" the words were barely out of his mouth before the tears started to fall.

"No Auggie, you just pretended too." Even as she said the words she doubted them. That small part of her, the part that had hoped he felt the same way, something that felt like it was a lifetime ago, lit up at the words she had waited so long to hear. But it was too long. Not now, not after what he had done to her. It wasn't true, it just couldn't be. She was his mission, there was no way he had any real feelings for her. Right?

"Why?" she asked, "Why now? All I was, all I am is a mission. Why do you have to do this to me?"

"Because it's the truth, it always has been"

And that's all it took, those eight little words to shatter her once again. Tears spilled down her cheeks, bringing the pain that she had kept hidden for so long to the surface.

"Why don't you believe that?"

"Because it hurts too much"

"The truth always does"

She wasn't sure how she ended up in his arms and she wasn't entirely sure she cared. She needed him, there was no way around that and as they sat there, hurting, broken, crying something shifted back into place. They were still broken yet somehow whole again, together again. Maybe that was all they needed.


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue

"So you were really just too scared to ask me out"

"Hard to believe huh?"

"I can't believe I thought our whole relationship was a lie"

"The truth hurts Walker"

"Does that mean you'll make me breakfast?"

"Last night wasn't enough?"

"Oh trust me, it was plenty. But I can't cook, you know that. Don't make me beg"

"As amusing as that would be I am kinda hungry. Although cooking does require me to get out of bed so…"

"Auggie"

"Yes"

"I will hit you"

"Aww, you wouldn't do that"

She merely raised an eyebrow, not that he could he could see it.

"Seriously Walker?"

"Suck it up Anderson"

"I may just have to change your mind on that"

He leaned in to kiss her and then proceeded to change her mind. It was lunch time before they made it out of bed.


End file.
